


Bonds

by kaze no kokyuu (Tigurijia)



Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Feelings Realization, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:48:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24476749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigurijia/pseuds/kaze%20no%20kokyuu
Summary: Jin analyzes the relationship between father and sons and wonders if the one between Horobi and him is really such.
Relationships: Horobi & Jin (Kamen Rider Zero-One)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Dizzy for beta reading this fic!
> 
> Thank you for reading, kudos and comments!

Jin wandered silently around semi-deserted streets, a few humans who had just finished working stopped to dine in small restaurants, or chat in the street before returning home to their apartments; the fresh evening air mixed with the smell of smog and food had become familiar to the Humagear, as the clouds in the sky darkened with the promise of a storm.

  
  


Not far from the refuge there was a small playground, usually uninhabited at that time, but strangely enough there were humans: one was a child, while the other one must have been his father. Jin decided to keep his distance, sitting on one of the most reserved swings, listening to the voice of the child who complained because he seemed to have scraped his knee.

"Dad, it hurts _so much_!" He cried as if there was no tomorrow, his eyes swollen with tears and his knee scratched and bleeding, his father smiled as he blew on the injured part of his knee; Jin was surprised how that small gesture was enough to make the child change his expression and he started smiling, jumping to his father's arms, hiding his face in the hollow of his neck. After that, the couple walked away, Jin followed them out of the corner of his eye until he saw them disappear from his visual range.

That scene made him think a lot: so is that how the relationship between father and son works? His thoughts went to Horobi, his words, his gestures, and how none of it resembled the relationship between that child and his father. 

He had never thought badly of Horobi, Jin respected Horobi, considered him an exceptional partner, an intelligent and admirable Humagear, but after all this time he still struggled to consider him as a father, or rather didn’t know the _true_ meaning of that complex relationship.

  
  


Later, Jin had started to change his mind, especially when Horobi had shielded him with his own body to protect him. Indeed he had been reckless but he had done it for him, Jin could still remember that scene and no _reset_ in the world would have erased it from his memory. For the first time in his life he had felt the feeling of "fear", the "terror" of losing someone close to him, if his body was made of flesh and blood he could feel his skin crawling and his blood boiling with rage but this, of course, had not happened.

From that day on, Jin had cursed and thanked _Singularity_ , because thanks to it he had begun to perceive the possibility of feeling " _something_ ” but at the same time he realized how painful it could be. And frustrating too.

  
  


_Pitter_ \- one drop of rain - _patten_ \- another one. As foretold, the rain had begun to fall incessantly; luckily the shelter was nearby, but not close enough to keep Jin from getting soaked. It was the sound of his rain-soaked shoes that caught the attention of Horobi, who looked busy with work; Jin smiled awkwardly, moving a lock of wet hair from his face. 

Horobi emitted a long sigh, momentarily leaving work to go look for a towel. With a serious expression on his face, he placed it over Jin's head, rubbing the youngest's head with unusual delicacy.

"Has something happened?" Horobi decided to break the silence, continuing to dry Jin's hair, trying to tame those naturally rebellious curls - _just like Jin_.

Jin pondered for a long time on the possible answer, it was a rare case in which he didn't feel confident enough to reveal his thoughts without fear of appearing in Horobi's eyes as a disillusioned fool, but at the same time a part of himself was struggling to give voice to his feelings - or how one could define that strange fit in the chest area in the case of a Humagear.

  
  


"May I have a hug?"

  
  


Instinctively Horobi presses his hands Jin's face, squeezing his cheeks hard and arousing a funny expression from the other, to which Horobi replies sighing "What is the reason behind this request?". He had actually thrown in the towel a long time ago in the search for rationality behind what Jin was saying and doing, although he sometimes feared that his motherboard had shorted out, maybe later he would propose a check-up.

Jin decided to take that much desired hug by force, taking advantage of the height difference favorable to him, Horobi after an initial moment of hesitation decided to reciprocate the gesture, placing a hand on the youngest's head and pushing his fingers through the still damp lock of hair. Jin relaxed with his face hidden in the hollow of Horobi's neck, emitting a sigh of approval. He could feel Horobi's body relax, although similar gestures from both were scarce, they decided to indulge in that rare moment of affection.

"Take your responsibility, _Dad,_ " He said, arousing a murmur between the amused and the ironic on Horobi's part. The younger Humagear thought back to the scene just before at the playground, realizing that in the end he had nothing to envy from that child, and though scenes like these were few and far between, they marked him deeply.

  
  


"Are you almost done, or do we have to stay in the rain much longer?" Ikazuchi's voice thundered inside the hut, catching the duo completely off guard; Jin and Horobi increased the distance again, arousing an amused laughter from the newcomer, it was obvious that he was making fun of them. Naki was with him, but being of a very quiet disposition, they merely looked at both of them with curiosity, without speaking.

"Sorry to disturb your touching father/son moment, but you said duty calls, didn't you, Horobi?"

Ikazuchi and Naki anticipated the two in Ark's hall and Horobi glanced one last look at Jin.

Jin watched Horobi assume the usual calm expression, apparently colorless but for him with countless shades; maybe he didn't have a heart, but in his eyes Horobi had beautiful colors.

That thought grew stronger when he met his father's gaze, his serious expression turning slightly into a barely hinted smile as he prepared to explain some of Ark's commands to the two newcomers.

"You've changed a lot, but you're still the spoiled child you used to be."

Jin was caught off guard and to the detriment of this, he reacted pretending to be offended when it was clear that Horobi was provoking him.

  
  


“Shall we go?”

  
  


He nodded, again shortening the distances to place a hand on Horobi's back, sensing the calm waves of his circuits.

  
  


“Thank you for staying by my side even though I'm a spoiled child.”

  
  


He whispered in a barely perceptible tone, but loud enough to be heard by Horobi.

"Guess I can't leave you alone, huh?"

  
  



End file.
